To Care For a Child
by The Mother Rose
Summary: All they had to do was care. But they didn't and this is what happens when a child of Naruto's quality gives up.


**Disclaimer: Don't own as always. Just like to play with What if's.**

**Author Note: I know I could have broken this into smaller sections but honestly I just didn't feel like it. As always reviews are appreciated and if you don't like it please send your complaints to the Sandman. This is what happens when he takes his sweet time visiting me when I decide it's time to sleep.**

To Care For A Child

Uzumaki Naruto was tired. It was the third day after the end of the preliminary rounds of his first ever chunnin exams. He'd been so hyped up about these exams and finally being able to show his whole village he was not the loser idiot they all thought he was. He'd gotten lucky on the first round and he knew it. But in the second exam he'd done his best. He'd gone toe to toe with a Sannin for Kami's sake but no one cared. No one said thank you or even nice try. All they did was scream at him to shut up and get out of the way. All they did was call him a loser. But still his team made it to the third round. The one on one battles. He'd fought Kiba and the loud mouth had tried to leave his dog out of the fight saying they had an easy victory and he'd win in a single punch. But he hadn't. And still Naruto hadn't heard any congratulations. No good jobs or any kind of praise when he beat the boy and the dog he'd called into play after all because Naruto wasn't as easy to beat as he'd thought he'd be. Naruto hadn't even damaged either one of them but still his fellow nin didn't congratulate him. But he'd sucked it up. He'd gone through the number drawing and the long winded explanation and tried to be respectful.

The day after those fights he'd gone to Kakashi to ask about his training and the seal Orochimaru had put on him but Kakashi had cut him off. Told him he couldn't train him because Sasuke's need was greater. Greater to whom? Problem was Naruto knew who Sasuke's need was greater than his to and the answer was everyone. Quoting in a low, soft and quiet voice Naruto threw Kakashi's words back in his face. _Those who abandon their mission are trash but those who abandon their teammates are worse. _He'd added _But I guess I never was part of the team since you never really trained me in anything._

Then he'd gone looking for a trainer. Anyone would have done. Anyone who could have given him even so much as a direction but everyone he asked said the same thing in their own fashion. The answer was no. I can't train you. You aren't serious enough. You aren't skilled enough. My field you have no ability in. I have my own students to train. I don't train brats. I don't train street trash. All the same thing in different voices and all of it absolutely useless but not a bit surprising to Naruto. So now he was leaving.

He had paid his tab at the ramen stand and said goodbye. He'd left a letter along with his headband and his orange suit in his apartment but he was tired of the crap he had to take for this kami damned place and he wasn't going to deal with it anymore. Kakashi actually had the nerve to tell him to stop acting like a spoilt brat and learn the lesson everyone else had to learn. You can't always get what you want. He really wanted to know one damn time he'd ever gotten what he wanted. Just one damn time. One time where he hadn't fought tooth and nail first that is.

He walked calmly out of the gate to find Sarutobi standing in his way. "Where are you going Naruto-kun?" asked the Old Man quietly.

Naruto looked at him. There was no smile now. No cheer in his eyes to fake anyone out. The orange suit was gone as was everything false that he could leave behind. And it made Sarutobi sad. He looked in the endless blue of the child's eyes but he didn't see a child there. He saw an angry young man who had taken more than anyone had a right to expect him to and couldn't take one drop more. The boy who had taken so very much there was just no more room. Even his tears were compacted, Sarutobi thought as he watched golden liquid pour over his lower lids to roll down the whiskered cheeks to drip into the dirt or leave a golden trail on his tee shirt.

In a near whisper, Naruto said, "Let me go, Old Man. I can't give any more for this place that doesn't want me to ever achieve anything. I can't keep smiling for people who won't open their damn eyes and realize they aren't really sad anymore. I took their sadness away from them years ago but they cling to it as if it were still their burden to carry. I can't keep taking the blows for people I never met and certainly didn't kill just because they are afraid they will forget those who died that day. And I won't lay down my life for the stupid, who never lost anyone or anything they even knew they had to lose, any longer."

"What happened, Naruto? You know you can bring anything to me and I'll do my best to fix it for you."

"And can you fix it when even my so-called Sensei says I'm spoilt because you try and make sure my landlord doesn't kick me out of my apartment or at least one clothing store will sell me clothes? When at least one store will sell me groceries for triple the price everyone else pays so that at least I can eat. Can you fix what they think, Old Man? You can't. We both know you can't."

"I went to every jounin I know of in this place asking for one person to train me or give me pointers on training myself. None of them will because I am nothing to them. I am cannon fodder to be thrown in the gutter and stomped on by the enemy so maybe Kyuubi will die and they can celebrate. I even went to the library only to get kicked out in front of children."

"But I did nothing. I humbled myself. I smiled. I lied to myself. Again. I didn't cry. I did everything I could think of to show them I'm just as human as they are. But all they see is what he did. I didn't do it. I had no say in it for which they should be grateful but they aren't. They never will be. Because they aren't nearly as forgiving as they want everyone to believe they are. They aren't youthful as Lee would say no matter what they think. A green spandex suit doesn't make you youthful. It only makes you look like a fool. But forgiveness. Yeah that can make a person youthful. Just right now I don't have any more to give. Twelve and a half years of nothing but forgiving every kami blessed day has left me empty."

The tears were running down his cheeks but he didn't appear to notice them. Too caught up in the torrent of words pouring from his heart to care. Sarutobi's head had dropped lower and lower as Naruto poured out his words, understanding just how badly the village had failed this child. He raised his head as tried to smile but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Tell me, Jijii, just how many times can I get lucky in a battle? How many times can someone slam glowing fingers into my stomach before Kyuubi is released? How many times must it be my blood on the ground before someone remembers DEMONS DON'T BLEED? How much blame must I shoulder for what happened on the day I was born? I'm sure if I keep searching I'll find out just what the hell they all think I could have done to change things. But as of right now. . .gomen. I just have no ideas."

"I know I didn't ask my father to have sex with my mother that day. I know I didn't ask Kami to make me the child of their choice that day. I know I didn't ask her to decide to keep me and bring me to term. And I damn sure know I didn't ask to be born that day either. Hell if I'd had my choice in any of it I would have said NO. Maybe I'd have said HELL NO. Yeah at this moment in time I think that would more than likely have been my answer. Had I any choice in things. But I didn't get a choice and we all know it. They did. Their Hero did. Kyuubi did. But I didn't. Yet I am the only one who pays for their choices and I am the spoilt one. I am the brat. I am the one who isn't worth the training. I am the one no one looks at. I am the one no one sees and everyone hates."

"Do you see now? I can't stay here any more. I just can't." Still with golden tears rolling down his face and dripping into the dirt at his feet Naruto waited for Sarutobi to say something. But Sarutobi couldn't. He couldn't let him go but he loved the boy and he couldn't make him stay here either. He spread his old hands feebly, trying to find the words he needed but knowing they just weren't there. Three men with white wings walked out from under the trees. Their wings were wrapped around them and gleamed in the feeble filtered light of the sun.

"Let us take him, Sarutobi. The boy is correct. He can not stay here where no one knows him and no one cares for him. He needs real love and acceptance. We can give that to him and give him back his purpose."

"And who exactly are you?" asked Sarutobi moving to stand in front of Naruto protectively automatically sliding into his opening kata and prepared for anything.

"I am Phael," answered the one who had spoken first.

"I am Chael," said the one on his right.

"And I am Briel," said the last of the trio and to Phael's left.

Naruto's mind had automatically supplied their full names as they'd introduced themselves. He wasn't sure how he knew them but he did. They were Kami's chosen for those humans who had difficult roads and were in danger of becoming lost and incapable of fulfilling the role she sent them to fill. Raphael, Michael and Gabriel. He asked, "Am I the only one you have come for today, Ael's?"

Phael, the seeming spokesperson of the group, smiled as he shook his head. "No. There is one other whom is also lost. Just as we will help you to stem your tears again we will help him to let them flow." Just as he finished speaking Gaara stepped into the clearing.

"Am I the one you have come for?" he asked. Like Naruto he too knew who the Angels were.

"Hai. That you are young Gaara of the Sand. Kami has heard the pleas of both of you and she has sent us to aid you both so that you may rest until you are once again strong enough to take up your burdens and walk the road she laid before you. Come with us, Sabaku no Gaara. Come with us, Namikaze Naruto. Let us help you." Naruto stepped around Sarutobi who plucked at his sleeve trying to hold him back but Naruto looked at him sadly. He tried to smile for the Old Man somehow knowing he would never see the Old Man alive again but he just couldn't do it.

Softly he said, "Good-bye, Old Man. Know I love you and I always will." Then he pulled his sleeve free and walked to the trio of angels. Chael opened his wings to embrace Gaara while Briel did the same for Naruto. Both boys looked back at Sarutobi as the light swirled around them and they vanished from the area before the gates.

As Sarutobi turned back to his village he was surprised by the number of angry glares he was met with. He knew the glares were for Naruto but he didn't feel like dealing with any of them right now. Right now all he felt like doing was mourning his pseudo grandson who had no one else to mourn him. He vanished to his office where he collected a picture of Naruto and locked everything else pertaining to the child into his special vault before leaving for his home. He had no intention of returning to this room. The village had hurt the only child who truly had a heart of gold. He knew those tears that had been falling from Naruto's eyes were heart tears and that was why they had been golden. But the child's heart was just too full of tears now to contain them any more and so they were finally spilling free.

He entered his house to surprised questions from his family all of which he ignored as he shuffled his way into the shrine room. He shut the door behind him and set Naruto's picture up in the traditional way for mourning and lit his incense sticks off the candle flame. Then he bowed his head and said his prayers to Kami for the god to watch over the boy and let him know there was one person who always had seen the boy he really was. One person who always had heard his tears and noticed when the smile was fake and the laughter false. One person who wished there had been more he could do for the child.

As he prayed, he cried. He prayed all day and all night never even hearing his family knocking on the door to the little shrine room. Nor would he have answered if he had. He was disappointed in them right now but especially in Asuma. He knew Asuma had refused to train Naruto. He knew Asuma had refused to even hear the boy out and he knew Naruto had been humble and self-effacing. He knew Ino had ribbed the boy badly for bothering her team and being thrown aside by his own Sensei and Asuma had done nothing to defend the boy. He'd said nothing and Naruto had gotten the message. Not just the message Asuma had been giving him but the one that came straight from his own Sensei.

He fell asleep at his shrine as the candle burned down and the incense went out. But he didn't notice until the morning sun peeked into the small room to fall across the smiling whiskered face of Naruto. Sarutobi seemed to hear the blond telling him to wake up. It was a new day and there was much to be done before the sun set again. Once again the Old Man whispered, "I'm sorry, Naruto. You deserve so much better than the village ever gave you. Be happy please, Child. Find you way again and be happy."

He ignored his family as he moved about his home getting ready for another day at the tower, forgetting his intention to never set foot in there again. He said nothing to any of them no matter what they said to him, sparing only a pat on the head for Konohamaru before he left the dwelling. He would stop by Teuchi's for ramen when he was ready to eat and he had tea at the tower in the meantime.

Asuma opened the door to the shrine room and gasped when he saw Naruto's portrait and the obvious sign of mourning around it. Fleeing without a word to his sister-in-law he headed for the tower. He had to know what had happened to Naruto.

He arrived to find his father sitting behind his desk. An old tired man who had no spark and no joy. "What happened to him that you spent all night praying to Kami for him, Pops?"

"What do you care, Asuma?"

"He's important to the village, Pops. What happened that you set up a shrine for him?"

"So important to the village no one would train him. Try again."

"He's important, Pops. Just tell me what happened."

"He came to you for training because you are my son. Because you are Shikamaru and Chouji's teacher. Because he thought the man who calls me Pops and trains the two of his classmates who actually can see him was better than the rest." Sarutobi let his disappointment with Asuma show through and color his tone of voice.

"You let Ino tear him down though he is, and always has been, a better ninja than she is. So I ask again. What do you care? Go away. I have work to do and Shika should be up in a couple hours to learn that oh-so-important Shogi move."

"I was just doing as Kakashi asked us to. He wants Naruto to work on his basics. He said he told him that and left him a training schedule to follow."

"And Kakashi asked you to let Ino mock him? He asked you to stand by and do nothing as one of your team ripped the boy to shreds when he was already as humbled as he could get without crawling like a damn worm?"

"Well, no but he said the boy was uncommonly proud, loud and stubborn. He said Naruto is spoilt and only interested in learning new jutsu instead of improving his non-existent skills."

"Get out of my sight, Asuma, unless you really like the outpost way station duties." Fire blazed in Sarutobi's eyes but it wasn't the right kind of fire. This was the kind that destroyed whatever it touched. But Asuma still needed to know what had happened to the boy.

He tried to ask but before the words were out of his mouth his Father had thrown him out the damn window. Luckily he was a jounin and managed to cushion his fall. Kurenai came up to him and asked what had happened and he told her all about it.

She pinched the bridge of her nose as she nodded her understanding. "Yeah. Hinata is royally ticked off with me for not even hearing him out. She actually told me off for not listening to him and then having the nerve to denigrate her father for doing the same thing to her. I tried to point out that it isn't the same thing at all and she told me I was right. It wasn't because at least the person her father treated like shit was actually his child to do it to. But I was not Naruto-kun's mother. Something she reminded me he has never had and that maybe if he had he'd have better manners and be a little less boisterous but growing up without either a Kaasan or an Otousan tends to make damn sure you don't have manners. Then she turned her back on me and ignored me for the rest of the visit. She also told the nurses not to let me in again."

"Ouch," said Asuma though whether he was commenting on what Hinata had said to her or the fall from his father's office window was anyone's guess. They went their separate ways and tried to take their students out training. Problem was neither of them could find their students.

Sakura was looking for anyone she could hang out with and found Ino, who of course told her about Naruto coming asking for training from Asuma-Sensei the day before.

"Why would he do that? Kakashi-Sensei is a good sensei."

"Apparently Kakashi-Sensei told him he couldn't waste his time on him and he should just go work on his basics."

"Oh," said Sakura sadly. "So he thinks if Naruto keeps climbing the tree he'll get strong enough to beat Neji. I guess I should have seen that coming. I just assumed because Naruto fought so hard for both Sasuke-kun and I in the forest, Sensei would finally see he needs more training too."

"What? No Asuma-sensei said Kakashi-Sensei has told Naruto to work on his basics and Naruto refuses to do as he's told because they aren't jutsu."

"Yeah, well then someone's lying. The only thing Sensei has taught Naruto is how to climb the tree with his chakra. He won't even teach him the water walking he taught me. And never once have I heard Naruto complaining cause Sensei won't teach him a new jutsu. He asks for training. He isn't specific. Sasuke-kun is the one who wants jutsu."

"But. . .That's. . .How. . .Why the Hell did he let your team sign up for the exams, Forehead Girl? Please tell me he taught you something beside walking on water and tree climbing."

Sakura shook her head. "Nope afraid not. But he teaches Sasuke-kun and Sasuke-kun protects us so it's good." The two girls shared other tidbits of gossip but now Ino understood why both Chouji and Shika were ticked off with her yesterday after Naruto had gotten the message and left them alone. She felt about two inches tall for not seeing the defeated look on his face and body stance as he'd asked quietly if Asuma-Sensei would help him with his training for the month.

Later that day she went looking for her teammates. She was slightly hurt when Chouji told her to go away if all she was there for was to tear another hole in Naruto because he wasn't there to hear her rip him to shreds. But she shook her head and whispered, "I did come about that scene yesterday but only because I now know why he came to our Sensei for help but I don't know what to do about it."

Shikamaru opened his eyes. "There is nothing we can do about it. Even if he was still here we can not make the Sensei train a student they see as worthless as they see Naruto. They are troublesome but that is the way it is. This whole village sees him as being worthless and so he will never be allowed to be worthwhile."

"But Shika, Kakashi-sensei told Asuma-Sensei he told Naruto to work on his basics but that's a lie. According to Sakura the only thing he has ever told Naruto to work on is chakra tree climbing. How does climbing a tree fix taijutsu stances? How does it teach kenjutsu? And knowing this, if we let it stand aren't we just as guilty as our Sensei of saying he's worthless? Aren't we also saying he can never be worthwhile?" asked Ino. "I berated him as being such a failure as a ninja his own teacher didn't think he was worth teaching but I didn't know it was true. I never would have said that if I had known." She began crying.

Chouji actually closed his snacks and put them away. "His pain was so intense yesterday it was nearly suffocating. It was so deep I couldn't feel the bottom. He was nothing but a ball of pain so deep, so intense it didn't even have a color to it anymore. It was almost as tangible as this pretty little butterfly." He put out his hand and the little insect landed on his fingertip. "But I don't think he'll just bounce back this time. I heard he went to all the instructors asking for help and all of them turned him down. Kakashi told all of them to turn him away and they all did. I think Naruto got his message and I don't think he will be brushing it aside as he has everyone else's message."

The month between preliminaries and finals passed swiftly. In the Village Hidden in the Aerie, Naruto and Gaara were joined by a blond girl from Cloud. She was slightly older than they were but every bit as tired and hurt. There were a few other people there as well but Phael, Chael and Briel kept Naruto, Gaara and Yugito safe from them. The trio of jinchuuriki were so used to mistrusting normal people that it hadn't even occurred to them the humans here might be just like them. The three didn't learn any new moves for the life of the ninja they lived but they did learn to relax. They did learn to smile real smiles and they did learn to laugh. In Yugito, the boys found a true sister and in each other they found a brother. Yugito found herself with two brothers and none of them even questioned the bond that formed between them. They learned what it meant to have a family.

On the final day of the month the trio of angels came to the kids and asked them what they planned to do. Naruto looked at Briel sadness showing in his eyes as he said, "I have been thinking about that. I can not go back and yet I must. I know my road is not completed in that village yet. I still have a job to do there but it is not one I want to do."

Gaara and Yugito moved to his side. "You will not be alone now, Brother. We will be there for you. We will help you smile when there is nothing to smile about. We will help you release the tears before they can turn from silvery white to golden again. You will never be alone again."

They had learned the golden tears that had fallen from Naruto were extremely destructive to all they fell upon should he choose to activate them. The only reason they had not left a crater in the ground in front of the village was because of the presence of the three angels. But that was the truth of Heart's Tears. So long as they remained locked in the heart of the one who held them everything was fine but should the heart be overwhelmed by them the tears would overflow their banks and run out to spill upon the ground. They would never hurt the person who shed them or even anyone who understood the reason for them but anyone or anything else was doomed to be caught by them.

The angels had taught the jinchuuriki about themselves and about their demons prisoners as well. They learned they each had a defensive ability though Kyuubi had been incredibly selfish and refused to allow Naruto access to the one that should have been his as her container. Gaara had his sand barrier and Yugito had a cloak of shadows that allowed her to sidestep any attack upon her person while Kyuubi was supposed to have given Naruto a shield of impenetrable light. His golden tears were meant to be a warning to everyone to back away and leave him be but Kyuubi had never bothered to explain things to her vessel being resentful of both her imprisonment and the fact that she, the greatest of the demon realm, was incarcerated inside a human BOY child rather than a girl. But now their month of learning about themselves was over and it was time to face their lives again. Because Kyuubi refused to work with her vessel the Angels had not removed the seal Orochimaru had used on Naruto.

"Are you both sure you wish to stay with me in Konoha? The council and the villagers will not take kindly to our presences amongst them. You will be subjected to everything you can imagine," said Naruto.

"It can be no worse than I will face in Cloud, Naruto-kun. If I go back to Cloud they will lock me away in a lab to harvest my eggs to try and create new weapons from my demon and I. Like your people, my people have never understood Nibi and I are not one and the same. To them I am she and she is me."

"And the same for me. Well, almost," said Gaara. "I may have a brother and a sister there but they have never been anything but afraid of me for the way Father and the council insisted I be raised. Like Yugito, I was never seen as myself and I never will be. Our place is at your side helping you to change your village and bring it out of the darkness it cast itself into with the attack of the Kyuubi and the death of your father."

"But that is not why I must return. More than likely it is too late for that. You do understand we may not be able to bring the village out of the darkness and if we can not do you still wish to be a part of what I return to do?"

"Hai," both his new siblings said together in one voice. And so the trio went to Konoha, Sarutobi was getting ready for the chunnin final selections. He knew there was going to be a ruckus when his council finally figured out Naruto was not there but damned if he cared. He still had not forgiven his people for what they had done to the boy. All month long his jounin had come to him wishing to know what to do with their students who were angry with them. To each one he had said the same thing. "Ask Kakashi. You value his opinion more than mine." And each time the unlucky jounin was given a free flying lesson for their trouble. Eventually they had gotten his message. They had screwed up. None of them really knew how but they knew they had.

Truth was Sarutobi didn't care anymore. He loved Naruto. He saw the boy and he saw how noble and strong the child was. During the month, he had taken his power back from his arrogant council and made them nothing more than messengers boys for his position and when they groused he told them flat out, "Minato-kun set this council up, telling you all he wished for Konoha to become known as a village that saw no differences between her people but you have been nothing but divisive, separating those you feel worthy of attention and privilege from those you feel to be less special. It ends now. It is clear to me Minato-kun chose the wrong people to do this job. And I have never trusted any of you to do the job. It's why when he took my chair I took a chair here among you. Between us we felt we could keep you in line and make you do as we wished you to."

The council was still reeling from his speech and the scorn in his old voice as he told them off. They had noticed Naruto's disappearance but figured he was gone with Kakashi against their orders and it was for that reason they had gone whining to Sarutobi in the first place. They wanted Sarutobi to agree to punish Kakashi for disobeying them about only training the Uchiha child. But he had told them that although Kakashi would be getting punished it would not be for that reason since he was only training the Uchiha Brat and had only ever trained the Uchiha. So they could all just go back to their dank dark little holes to hiss and slither until the next victim came along to stab in the back as they had the village.

The day of the finals Sarutobi walked onto the sand of the arena and used a voice amplification jutsu so everyone could hear him clearly. The genin who were present were standing off to one side waiting for the Old Man who was the leader of the village hosting the event to say his piece. Some looked nervous while others looked eager and still others showed they couldn't care less.

"This event was set up so that villages could peacefully promote their young people through the ninja ranks while showing their strength to each other. By doing this, we cement our trade alliances and bonds between villages but sometimes it is necessary to remind each other more physically of why these events are preferable to war. Such is the case today. Some have come among us intent on showing their teeth more visibly than upon the sand of the arena floor."

A wave of his hand and Anbu were surrounding different people in the audience and boxes of visiting dignitaries. Some even showed up on the sand with Sarutobi. They surrounded the siblings from Sand Village as well as Dosu from Sound. Each group of Anbu slapped a seal onto the person they surrounded, knocking said person unconscious.

Once Sarutobi saw them all pass out he looked toward the Kage box and said, "Well, my Student? What will you do now? Your people are out cold while mine are fresh. And those you had outside the gates have also been taken care of. So now what will you do?"

The apparent Kazekage stood and moved to the front rail, peeling away his false skin as he did so. "How did you know?"

"Simple. You slammed a seal over Naruto-kun's belly seal and that was a dead give away that you were here. Not that I wouldn't have known anyway from the seal you placed on the Uchiha Boy. Another unnecessary thing, since he would have gone to you without it. But then you were always rather stupid. You only sealed Naruto-kun because he was stronger than you anticipated and you saw he could beat your special weapon from Sand Village. A weapon that seems to have slipped your control, by the way. But you sealed Sasuke to make sure he would come to you for training so you can take him over at your leisure."

While the two were talking the stadium was being cleared of unnecessary spectators and the genin who had gathered for testing or watching as their comrades were tested. Kakashi swirled in with Sasuke and both were more than a touch surprised to find themselves ignored and Sarutobi on the sands.

"I ask again, Orochimaru. What will you do now?" said Sarutobi.

"I should come kill you as I planned but you ruined so much of my plan I will just take the boy and leave. You will die soon anyway."

"Aye. That I will. But you will not be taking the boy yet. If he goes to you for his future training it will be because he chooses to do so and not because you have chosen him." Once again Sarutobi snapped his fingers.

Jiraiya stepped forward, placing himself in front of Sasuke. "I have long been waiting for our rematch, Rochi. Is it time for it now?" asked Jiraiya, not looking a bit like the lecherous old pervert he usually appeared to be but fully looking like exactly what he was. One of the three legendary ninja.

Sarutobi did not take his eyes off Orochimaru as he stepped behind the Uchiha boy. "It came to me last night that what makes this seal so hard to get rid of is that it is alive as most seals are not. So I will kill that which makes it live leaving Sasuke free to make his own choice for a trainer/mentor. I actually have Naruto-kun to thank for knowing how to get rid of it. Him and his golden tears and angel protectors." The last part was a quiet and sad whisper but audible to those standing nearby.

So saying his fingers began to glow with a pure white light that was not like his normal blue chakra. He was changing his chakra as it had come to him in his prayers last night turning it from mortal chakra to holy chakra. When his fingertips were full and could hold no more he laid them against the black mark on Sasuke's neck. Sasuke grit his teeth as sweat popped out on his forehead and his breath grew labored. His fist clenched as he squeezed his eyes shut but within minutes it was over. The seal was dead. The three comma marks were gone and the rest of the seal was fading as the power source was gone. Up in the Kage box, Orochimaru was gripping the railing so hard he was bending it as sweat poured from him in small rivers.

"You see, My Student. I do know what your curse seal does. I always have. So long as one person is alive who bears this seal you can reform yourself from the small snake you ate without digesting. But now I know how to get rid of it also. There is a reason why I am the Professor, Rochi. You have always known I was smarter than you were."

"He will still come to me, Sensei," growled Orochimaru.

"I know. He is as dark in his soul as you are. It is fitting you should train one who shares your darkness. But be warned, My Student. Just as you seek the death of myself to prove yourself, so shall your student seek yours."

"Ah, but you said it yourself, Sensei. I can not truly die so long as one remains alive who bears my mark and I have marked many." Orochimaru left in a cloud of purple inky darkness. One minute he was there crushing the balustrade and the next he was gone.

Sarutobi motioned for his Anbu to take the sleepers to holding cells and walked away after he announced the chunnin exams to be concluded. Sasuke growled and muttered about how he had not gotten to fight yet.

Sarutobi didn't even turn to look at him as the proctor growled at him to shut up and mind his manners. If the Hokage said the event was over then it was. End of topic.

Later that day, Kakashi was brought before Sarutobi and relieved of his duties as a Sensei of team seven. He was given no explanation as his rank was taken from him until he proved himself worthy of it once more. All Sarutobi would tell him was, "I told you not to ignore him. You are relieved of duty."

Kakashi tried to defend himself. "Naruto isn't a serious ninja. He isn't ready for what I can teach him. He's just a loud, spoilt little boy who thinks life is a game. Sasuke knows what it means to be a ninja. He was ready for my training."

Sarutobi didn't bother to correct him knowing it would do no good. Instead he turned two pictures around and let the images speak for themselves. Minato, at twelve, looked out at Kakashi from one image while Naruto looked out from the other. If it hadn't been for the whiskers and different clothing, Kakashi would have been tempted to say they were the same person.

Kakashi left the tower in a daze but unlike a lot of his friends over the last month he did leave under his own power. The Anbu that guarded the Hokage had taken to having a new window brought to the tower any time a jounin Sensei of the rookies as they were becoming known went in to see the Hokage. The Hospital had taken to having a staff member watch the tower for signs of falling jounin. Even the council had stopped pestering him and trying to tell him how to be Hokage. They understood now that their role was to advise him when he had an issue he was unsure how to handle. It was not to go to him when there was an issue they did not know how to deal with or needed the weight of his title to get the job done as they saw fit.

All around the village Kakashi was met with hostile glares from his comrades and the rookies. He ran into Sakura and almost sighed in annoyance. But the girl surprised him, "Hello Sensei. Off to buy more little orange books so you can pretend to ignore everyone again?"

"Hai. I seem to have read all my current supply."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then since I don't really like being ignored and you really do ignore me." She didn't once ask after the Uchiha or about training or mission resumption.

"Sakura?"

"Nani, Sensei?"

"Are you feeling all right? You haven't asked after Sasuke once and that is normally the first thing out of your mouth."

"Hai. I am ok. I'll find Sasuke-kun when he wishes to be found and not before then but as a matter of fact I am more interested in finding Naruto. I want to see if he got anyone to look at what happened to him in the forest not that you care."

"What do you mean? He lost. What's new in that?"

"I told you at the time, Sensei. It's not my fault you didn't listen." She tried to wak away but he put a hand out to stop her.

"Well, I'm listening now."

"Only because the exams are over," she muttered. She sighed and decided maybe he really would listen this time and Naruto did need some help. "All right Sensei. I'll tell you again but you had better listen to me this time because I'm not too happy with you right now. Naruto's gone through hell while you were gone and you're the reason for it."

He nodded with a slight frown wondering what he could possibly have done to be the reason the brat got himself in hot water again. He hadn't even been here for Kami Sake.

Sakura said, "Naruto fought Orochimaru and he lasted longer against him than Sasuke-kun did. First he had to get blown away from us by a strong wind, then eaten by a huge snake and then find his way back to us. But he did it and he got there in time to save our scroll that Sasuke-kun was throwing to the Snake to try and buy our safe passage. Not that I believe Sasuke cared whether the Snake man kept me behind or not. I'm not that stupid. But Naruto knew, as did I, that Snake didn't care about scrolls. So Naruto went toe to toe with him. The Snake kept trying to get around Naruto to reach Sasuke but Naruto wouldn't let him. He actually got the bastard a few times too. Ticked the snake off, let me tell you. Spamming clones may be all Naruto really knows how to do but he does it pretty damn well and he does pack a lot of power behind his fists and his feet."

"But then the Snake got angry and grabbed Naruto with his tongue. He held him up by his throat, choking him with his tongue. He lifted Naruto's shirt and slammed his glowing fingers into Naruto's belly. Naruto screamed and I've never been so scared in my life as I was when I heard him scream like that. Naruto should never scream. He just shouldn't." She fell quiet and seemed lost in the memory before giving herself a shake and continuing, "Anyway, After he screamed he passed out and the Snake was laughing. He taunted Sasuke with how much better an opponent Naruto-kun, as he called him was. He said something about Naruto being his old rival's true son and just as worthy an adversary as the Yondaime had ever been. He said maybe he should mark Naruto as well and take him to Sound also but with that thing in him he'd never be sure Naruto would work for him. And Sasuke just stood there while the Snake was talking. Naruto would have broken his neck from his fall when the snake retracted his tongue but I threw my kunai and pinned his jacket to the tree to save him. By the time I was sure Naruto was safe as he could be Sasuke had already screamed and he had passed out also. His scream is nowhere near as unsettling as Naruto's. I'll hear Naruto's scream until the day I die. But it's ok isn't Sensei. Because it's just Naruto and who cares about him."

She left him where he was standing a look of total scorn on her pretty face. He couldn't believe Naruto, his deadlast loud obnoxious never amount to anything student had gone toe to toe with a Sannin long enough to have actually ticked one off and he was still alive. He dismissed Sakura's remarks about the glowing fingers hitting Naruto's stomach putting down his passing out to being choked into unconsciousness and definitely dismissed what she had said about Naruto's screams. He had heard the boy scream more than a few times and did his level best to never remember how chilling the child's screams could really be. But her attitude towards him was revealing. He wandered into the bookstore and picked his books in silence, his mind more on the strangeness of what had occurred since he'd left the village a month ago to train the Uchiha and what he found upon his return.

He paid for his books and went back to his little apartment. It wasn't until he got there that he remembered he still needed to do his shopping. Well, maybe he'd just eat ramen tonight. He might have to deal with Naruto but the boy could be very funny and entertaining but a ninja? No way. Oh well. It'd be an entertaining meal if nothing else.

He made sure he had one of his books and his mask firmly in place and left his apartment. He made his way to the ramen stand. Once again he was slightly surprised by the cold shoulder treatment he received as he took a seat on one of the stools. But he'd been expecting it from this pair. They were after all fans of the blond who kept them in business. Ayame came over to take his order. She said nothing to him as she set a glass of water in front of him and waited for him to say what he wished to eat.

"Where's Naruto? I would have thought he'd be here pigging out already," he said trying to make polite conversation.

"Oh no," said Ayame. "He can only do that when he has the money to do so."

Kakashi wasn't buying it. He knew full well Naruto ran a tab at the stand and paid it off once a month. "Well, I'm sure whatever he blew his money on this month it's just a passing phase," he said with a condescending eye smile for the pair.

"Kind of impossible considering he isn't a ninja any more," snapped Ayame.

"Nani? Of course he is."

"No. He isn't. Seems someone went around the village telling everyone not to train him so no one would. They made it very clear to him that he is worthless and will never be allowed to be anything else. So he gave up his headband and left the village instead."

"Say what. . ." Kakashi forgot all about eating.

Ayame didn't bother mincing her words any more. "I have known Naruto-kun since he was a scrawny, underfed three year old. Pops and I have helped Hokage-sama take care of him to the best of our ability. We fed him when he had no other option but to come here for food. And he'd never take advantage of us. Only when he was ready to pass out from lack of food would he stumble in here. And contrary to what you think he can go for a week straight between meals. We know he doesn't eat our ramen because he likes it overly much. He eats it because Tousan doesn't poison it on him. Because Tousan makes it as healthy as possible for him. Because we will let him run a tab but he doesn't eat here daily. He only eats here once a week or so unless he has the money to pay for it at the time. But you didn't know that because you were too busy kissing the dead to care."

"I don't know exactly what the problem is here but I didn't make him quit being a ninja though it doesn't surprise me the brat did so. He's nothing but a spoilt whiner too used to getting his own way to ever work for anything. If someone tells him no he goes whining to the Hokage and gets the old man to fix it for him. That's not what his teammates need in the field."

Ayame couldn't believe her ears. She stood there in shock for a few minutes hardly breathing while her brain compute his words. Then she breathed out, "You called Naruto-kun spoilt? It's true. You did tell him it was about time someone showed him he couldn't always have everything he wanted. You're an idiot. I didn't believe it when that red headed boy came in here a few days after Naruto-kun left and told us what had happened but you really did tell him that." Her voice rose and was quickly spiraling out of control as she nailed the jounin to his stool with nothing but the piercing quality of her glare and her angry voice.

"Naruto knows that lesson better than you do. He has never been allowed to have anything of value he didn't give a pint of blood for first. He pays triple for his groceries and his clothes but what would you know of that? All you ever did was bitch because his clothes were orange and his diet was cheap foods. His weapons are crap because that's all he can get. Weapon shops are deadly places for him but again what would you know of that? You never cared to find out because his name isn't Uchiha. His name is Uzumaki. Think for a change, Baka. Who is the only Uzumaki you have ever known besides him? There has only ever been one besides Naruto-kun."

She flounced away from the stunned Copy-ninja. Her Father enfolded her in a tight hug knowing she was really missing Naruto and knowing there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it. He rubbed her back until she calmed herself and then sent her up to their rooms to rest. Once she was gone he looked at Kakashi sadly.

"I know you thought you were doing what was best for him. After all, with his coloring and his clothes he didn't look like much of a ninja. But Minato also wore loud clothing at twelve. I ought to know. I took care of him also. Minato was easy to care for because he wasn't hated the way Naruto is and always has been. Naruto's need for care was often hard to handle because his pain was so very deep. Minato wore loud clothing for the same reason most twelve year old orphans wear it. He wanted to be seen and he knew his Sensei would make sure he was taken care of no matter how loud his clothes were. That's a knowledge Naruto has never had. He knows you will never take care of him. But he also doesn't wear that suit because he wants to. Do you even know how many of those suits he has? You don't do you?" Kakashi shook his head prepared to hear Naruto had seven to ten of them. "He has three and only three. And when one gets worn to the point where it can't be repaired he has to make due with two while he argues with the shop that lets him buy clothes for another outfit to replace it. Sarutobi and I both tried to get him to let us do his shopping for him but he always said no. He said the price of doing that was too high. It would cost him more than he was willing to pay when he had to see Ayame hurt or Konohamaru hurt because the villagers figured out how he got decent clothing or weapons or even food. And the villagers would have hurt our children for shopping for him. It would have been the same if Asuma was his Sensei and if Kurenai had become his sensei the villagers would have turned on her directly. They would have hurt her badly just because she's a woman who lives alone. But you had no children to be hurt if you did it for him instead. You could have done it. You could have noticed at any time but you never looked. You didn't want to see. You told an orphan you know full well is hated by everyone he is spoilt because the Hokage keeps a roof over his head and lights, heat and water running for him. You told him he was worthless and cast him aside to go train the dojutsu instead. It would have been bad enough if you had stopped there but you didn't. You went to your friends and told them your lies as well. You told them you gave him exercises to do but you didn't. You told them he was spoilt and stubborn and only interested in jutsu but you never told them you only told him to climb a tree. But they did as you requested. They tore him to ribbons and he broke. He cried golden tears and he set aside his headband, finally understanding this village will never let him be anything but worthless when all he wanted was for one person to see him as worthwhile. Congratulations, Hatake. I hope you feel like a man now. You beat a helpless kid until he gave up on life. Now get out of my stand and don't contaminate these premises again."

Teuchi turned his back on the jounin and listened as the man took his leave. Kakashi found himself walking around the village. For once he was not reading any of his books. The village seemed quieter to him, something he had been aware of from the moment he had returned with Sasuke but hadn't really given any thought to since he had assumed it had to do with the invasion that didn't happen. But now he was wondering. All the gazes of the Rookies were hostile as were the looks from his fellows. The villagers just looked at him warily as if they were wondering if servicing him could end up costing them more in the long run than he would purchase from them. He bought some dango and sat on a street bench eating it through his mask as he watched the people going past. Everyone was subdued; quiet as they did what they needed to do and went back inside as quickly as they could.

At sunset the sidewalks were quietly cleared as the market place closed up shop for the day. He threw away his trash absently and resumed his seat to see what the nightlife would act like. The nightlife was usually just as noisy and active in it's own way as the activity of the day time but tonight that wasn't the case. There weren't as many people making their way into the bars or the dancing places as normal. Chronic drunks still made their way to their favorite watering holes but tonight it seemed even they didn't care to be loud as they did so. In fact there seemed to be a measure of shame in them as they quietly took their seats in the bars. By midnight the bars were actually empty of patrons as were the dancing places and cathouses. No one was on the streets except for the Anbu patrols and the night thieves looking for anything they could steal or peddle to another unsuspecting person.

Kakashi went home. He had a lot to think about. He hadn't meant to break Naruto. He just wanted the kid to give some serious thought to what he was doing and realize the life of a ninja wasn't all fun and games. Hell he knew why the kid was a ninja. There wasn't anything else he could do. The villagers wouldn't let him but still. The kid treated everything as a joke. How was he supposed to know it was all an act? His own words to his team came back to him. _Always look underneath the underneath. There is always more to every story and everyone than what is apparent._ He had mainly been speaking to Sasuke and Sakura trying to let them know there was more to Naruto than they knew so Sasuke wouldn't be surprised when Naruto overpowered him. But now he knew he should have paid attention to his own words. Because if Teuchi and Ayame could be believed that was all it had ever been. An act. A show he put on so no one would know how fragile his existence really was.

His sleep that night was filled with dreams and images of Naruto. Times when he'd seen the smile slip, a sheen of tears in the blue eyes, a bowed head or heard him sigh in a way no child should ever sigh. And in each case he saw himself shrugging it off when the smile came back, never once giving any thought to the fact that when it did those expressive eyes would be squeezed tightly shut as if he didn't want to see the world right then. He saw again the orange suits and realized Teuchi was right. Naruto only had three of them at any given time. He'd known it even then.

Sarutobi had taken him to the boys place and let him poke into everything. The apartment made it clear the child was anything but spoilt. No toys or hobbies lay scattered about the place. The only thing he had that might be considered an extra was plants and he had a lot of those. Very healthy plants too he remembered. The place had the bare minimum of furniture and clothes. The two suits in his closet were identical to the one he'd worn to school that day but, other than thinking the kid needed better fashion sense, he'd dismissed the issue. He saw the fact that the furniture was old and shabby though obviously well cared for but again it hadn't made an impression on him. He remembered looking in the refrigerator and cabinets and finding only ramen, tea and old milk. He'd just assumed the kid needed to go shopping and thought nothing more of it. His mind had been impressed with how clean and orderly the place was but he hadn't let himself dwell on it.

When he woke in the morning he was anything but well rested. His mind was still replaying everything he thought he'd known as gospel. Slowly it was coming to him that he really knew nothing of Naruto and he had no one to blame but himself for his lack of knowledge. He had shut his eyes to the boy because he looked like his father and yet there was no way Kakashi could relate the loud obnoxious boy with his personal hero. So he had shut the boy out and ignored him to concentrate on Sasuke. Sasuke didn't remind him of anyone else he knew or ever had known. He didn't evoke nightmares or questions he couldn't answer. There wasn't any mystery to Sasuke. That boy was straight up and so long as you taught him everything you knew he was easy to placate. But Sakura was just as easy to handle. All one needed to do to keep her happy was train Sasuke and let her watch. She was happy with that. Naruto was and always had been the conundrum in the equation.

Once again he found himself wandering around the village. This time the silence wasn't as unexpected to him as he wandered. Nor were the glares of people who had at least once looked at him and only glared because of his reading material. But he didn't have any of his books out today. Asuma came up to him and the two men walked side by side for a few steps. Finally the younger Sarutobi took the cigarette out of his mouth and said, "Kakashi. The next time you ask me to do something to one of your students, would you please not lie to me about what you're really wanting me to do? I'm in hot water with my Pops over it and with my team. So are Kurenai and Gai."

"What? I didn't lie to you guys. He does need to work on his basics. They suck and he won't work on them to improve them at all."

Asuma stopped walking and Kakashi stopped a few steps further on. He turned back to the shorter man. "You still don't get it, do you? You left us all with the impression you told the kid _how_ to work on his skills but you didn't, did you? While I admit I took it for granted you told him how to train himself for the upcoming fight with Neji the truth is you didn't did you? You just wrote him off and hoped we'd do the same thing. You taught him how to use his chakra to climb a tree but how does that improve his taijutsu? How does that improve his weapon work? You didn't tell him how to do what you told him to do. You claim he's stupid but I don't think he's the stupid one Kakashi. Not on your team anyway. You wanted him to quit. To give up so you could pat yourself on the back and claim your nindo was better than his. But you couldn't make him give up on your own. You had to drag us into it."

"What? He knows how to make shadow clones so all he had to do was practice with them. He would have improved if he had."

"He did make them and he did practice with them," said Gai. "Lee and I saw him make them and practice every morning and every night when we were on our runs. But you know the drawback with clones, Kakashi? They know nothing more than their creator until they experience something the creator doesn't. He could not improve his taijutsu unless someone took the time to tell him what he was doing wrong. I could have but you told me not to train him because he needed to do the exercises you told him to do. He needed to waste his time tree climbing. How many hours of straight tree walking did you want from him, Kakashi before you'd admit he mastered it?"

"It was the same with his weapons," said a girl he vaguely thought was named Tenten. "How can practicing with clones who know only what he knows improve his aim or care of said weapons when he doesn't first have the information to improve?"

Shikamaru spoke up next. "You aren't alone in the blame for what happened to Naruto. We were his friends. We knew you were ignoring him, refusing to teach him and we knew what it was doing to him every time you did it but we did nothing. We could have stepped in and helped him. We could have fixed what was wrong and made it right but it was easier to stand back and say it's not our problem."

"Easier to bad mouth him," said Ino.

"And bash him for being what Sasuke wasn't," said Sakura.

"Easier to taunt him with food he couldn't have," said Chouji

"Easier to show him up with moves he didn't know how to perform," said Lee.

"Easier to laugh at him and brag about how much better I am than he is," said Kiba.

"Easier to stand back and tell myself better him than me," said Shino.

"We each had our reasons for letting him fail," said Hinata. "I took my strength from his failures. Watching him rise back to his feet time after time to try and try again. Never giving up. Always insisting he'd get it next time and always failing. I was afraid to help him because if he began to succeed where then would my inspiration come from? When I felt weak where would I look then for the strength I needed. So I stayed in the shadows as well. I never thought he could just give up and quit and take away my inspiration anyway."

"But where we can excuse, and maybe someday forgive, ourselves by saying it wasn't our job to teach him what is the excuse you tell yourself for failing him?" asked Asuma.

"What is the story you will tell yourself when his skills are insufficient for his enemies skill?" asked Gai.

"What would you say if he had fallen on that mission to Wave where it was a very real possibility from what I understand?" asked Kurenai.

"He wasn't in any danger of dying, Kurenai. That's not really ever a possibility for him and you all know it," Kakashi said dismissively.

"I told you," said Shikamaru.

"Told them what?" asked Kakashi perplexed.

"That you didn't train Naruto because of his prisoner," said Gai sadly.

"We told him he was wrong," said Kurenai.

"We told him it was because of who he reminded you of but it seems he was right," said Asuma.

"Congratulations, Kakashi. You became one of the people we used to rescue him from," said a new voice behind them all. They turned and there on the sidewalk was Uchiha Itachi. He had Naruto slung over his shoulder. "I saw you all here and couldn't resist stopping to listen to what you were discussing. I have to thank you, though. Because you didn't do your job you made it easy for me to grab Naruto-kun for my boss. So thank-you." He vanished in a swirl of air.

Kakashi's eyes had gone wide as the meaning of that seeped into his brain. "Kuso. Damn Kid!" He took off at a run for Naruto's apartment. All the other jounin running behind him and all of them wondering just how in the hell this could ever be considered to be Naruto's fault.

The apartment was a shambles. Everything that could be destroyed was. Sand lay over every surface clearly indicating Naruto had not been alone when he had been nabbed. The only thing that was intact were three headbands nailed to one of the walls. One from Sand, one from Cloud and the final one from Konoha.

Kakashi was swearing up a blue streak. "Kami Damn it. Now I have to go chase after the Brat. Why couldn't he have just for once in his life stayed out of trouble? God damn it."

A resounding slap was heard in the apartment. Sarutobi stood there. Tears poured down his old face as he glared through them at Kakashi. "And just what the hell did he do to deserve this, Kakashi? Just how the hell was he supposed to stay out of trouble when no one in the entire village even knew he was home. You want him to deserve all the shit that he goes through but you couldn't survive one day of his life. Not one Kami damned day of it! You're the last person I will send after those kids and yes I know exactly who Naruto-kun brought home with him. The headbands tell me as does the Sand laying over everything."

Asuma asked, "Who, Pops? Who did they get?"

"They got all three of the known jinchuuriki in the Elemental Lands. There are rumors of another couple but those are just rumors. Other villages didn't boast of having a jinchuuriki in their possession. They may not be treated any better than Konoha treated Naruto but at least their villages didn't go bragging about having them either." All four jounin looked at their feet as Sarutobi walked to the wall where the three headbands were pinned. "This one from Cloud belongs to Nii Yugito and her prisoner Nibi. This one from Sand belongs to the youngest of son of the former Kazekage who died during the Konoha chunnin selection exams. I don't even know if Gaara knows his father is dead yet. He is Naruto's age while Yugito is two years older than they are. Of the three, she is the better trained so long as she can call on Nibi to aid her but Gaara is no slouch either so long as he can use the Tanuki he holds prisoner. Naruto is the only one of the trio who was never really trained for anything. He can barely read. His handwriting is atrocious. His math skills are almost non-existent and his ninja skills are rudimentary. Yugito at least has some ninja skills she learned that are not dependant on her prisoner's cooperation but neither Naruto or Gaara do. Gaara was never taught ninja skills because his father was arrogant and didn't think the boy needed them. But Naruto, he can't even use Kyuubi right now. Would you happen to know why, Kakashi?" Kakashi shook his head. "He can't use Kyuubi because he can't reach the demon and the demon can't reach him. You were quick to notice Sasuke's mark and danger but you never thought someone might have hurt Naruto as well. You didn't even listen when Sakura told you about the fight. She told you Orochimaru had to fight Naruto before he could get to Sasuke because Naruto wouldn't let him near the boy. She told you how Orochimaru knocked Naruto out but you didn't listen. Orochimaru slammed a five point seal over Naruto's eight point seal. So now, because you didn't do the job I entrusted you with, Naruto is as defenseless as if he'd never even gone to school and you really think I would send you after him? After everything you've done to put him in this spot in the first place? No none of you are going after him."

"But Pops. . . We can't just let Akatsuki have them. We don't even know what they want them for," Asuma protested.

"And how could what they want them for be any worse than their lives to date have been? Just why should I send anyone to rescue them when I don't even know if the group is a threat to them or not? Tell me that, Asuma. How would things be better for Naruto to be drug back here to a life he can't even live because he can't get a job to make money and the job he had no one wanted to teach him how to do? You tell me why should Gaara go back to Sand village where he'll have to fight his own people and kill them just to stay alive? Why should Yugito go back to her village to become a lab rat while they take her choice from her as to who is worthy of her body and who isn't? Hai. That's the life she faces. Tied to machines while they harvest her eggs for reproduction so they can make a more human weapon for the next generation."

He rubbed a weary hand over his face and sighed. "We had our chance. And try as I might I could never get anyone to see Minato's son was standing right here waiting to be acknowledged. I did everything I could think of to help him but it wasn't enough and then he got called spoilt because he lived here and ate ramen and owned three suits of bright orange. So no. I won't send anyone after them until someone can prove to me they are better off here in their home villages than with the group that has them now."

And so it was that word was sent to Cloud and to Sand letting both villages know the whereabouts of their Jinchuuriki. In each case the messages came back as good riddance. Cloud was disgusted with Yugito over her disappearance and out of spite refused to launch a rescue for her and Sand was flat-out afraid of Gaara. Of course, they did have good reason to be afraid. Gaara had been killing people since he'd turned five or so but what they didn't understand or allow for was that each of those people had been trying at the time to kill him.

But in Konoha there was a different reaction to Sarutobi's decision. The older generation vowed it was about time they were freed from the reminder of their loss but the younger generation wasn't nearly as peaceful with it. They had all moved out of their ancestral homes and taken apartments together whenever they could. They still took orders from the Hokage but they made it clear they would no longer work with anyone they knew had ever mistreated their comrade. They turned a blind eye and deaf ear to parents and sensei alike as they made their own plans to go find their friends. Even Sasuke had joined with them and several of the rookies lived in houses on his estate for safety. He did eventually leave the village for training with Orochimaru when he got tired of being sniped at and fawned over for the trials and tribulations he must have gone through as Naruto's teammate.

Finally the day came when Shikamaru got tired of being sniped at by his mother and he turned on her, snarling about what an ignorant bitch she was for ever daring to presume she was better than Naruto. He told her flat out, "I do not know how such a stupid unworthy person as yourself not only married my father but was deemed worthy of the sacrifice of an entire family. You certainly are not someone I would choose to sacrifice a toenail for. Let alone my only child. Yet Yondaime did. He sacrificed not just himself. He sacrificed his wife and his son for you as well. And how do you repay him? You denied the child he was, everything that might have marked him as human. You denied him clothing. You denied him food. You denied him learning because if he could learn he couldn't really be a monster at all. But worse? You denied him friends. You called him monster but you are wrong. You are the monster you fear. Not him. Now get out of my face. You're blocking the clouds." She went to strike him but he warned her in a low angry voice. "I would not _even_ carry through on that threat. I am not Naruto. I will not simply lie here and take your abuse. I am not Father to get off on it. I am me and I will deck your ass without compulsion."

But the most surprising thing to occur was when Kakashi went missing-nin. He simply vanished one night during his shift on the gate watch. His partner had gone inside the guard house to warm up and drink some coffee and when he returned to the outside Kakashi was gone. There was no note of explanation or any clues to go on. He'd just vanished without a trace. But some people speculated that he couldn't face the man in the mirror any more. With Naruto's abduction, by the Akatsuki, and Sasuke's leaving, for Sound and training under the Snake Sannin, added to the way he had lost the respect of his peers, people whispered Kakashi had suddenly realized he had broken his own nindo and done so more than once over the same damn kid.

Though he was missed by a few higher ups who remembered him from the days before he accepted a genin team, the majority of the village took his disappearance as a sign of the true death of the village. To them they had now lost the Uchiha Clan, the Namikaze Clan, and the Hatake Clan though they admitted, whenever asked, that they had never before admitted the Namikaze clan had survived the death of the Yondaime, not wanting Naruto to ever make the connection to who he had been born.

Sarutobi served for six more years and saw many a ninja go missing during that time. He never went after any of them regardless of who they were or who was asking for them to be retrieved. He refused to list any of them in the bingo books figuring if they had reached the point of being done with this village he couldn't blame them. His personal shrine held an image of each one though and every night he prayed to Kami for their safety. But as for chasing them, he simply didn't care any longer. Naruto had been his last best effort to save his village from ruination and it had failed because his people just wouldn't wake up and pay attention. After Sasuke and Kakashi disappeared the rest of the rookies went missing one by one or sometimes in a group of three such as was the case with the Neo Ino Shika Cho team. Konohamaru went missing along with his friends Moegi and Udon and Iruka but that was the largest group to go missing at the same time.

Hinata and Neji left together and in the same manner as Kakashi had left. Sakura wandered off during a mission and Tenten had retired from the life not wanting to face any more of it. After her retirement, she went into the weapon making business and moved away to open her open shop. Ayame followed and opened her own ramen stand right next to Tenten's weapon shop. Shino wandered off saying he would be gone for two weeks to find new bugs and catalogue the bugs of a nearby forest. He never returned. Lee went out to look for him and disappeared as well but they found his green leotard in his apartment and figured he had meant to vanish so no alarm was raised. The only one of the rookies not to vanish was Kiba and that was more due to his clan being pack natured more than anything else.

Of Kakashi's age group very few went missing. Kurenai did once her whole team was gone and Asuma died in battle. She packed up her son and just walked out the main gate. Sarutobi watched her go and just gave her a sad look as she left. She never turned her head and so did not see the old man saying good bye to the youngest and last member of his family that she carried on her back.

Gai retired once Lee and his team of genin disappeared. He woke up one morning and saw it was nine thirty. It was when he realized he was about to roll over to catch a couple more hours of sleep that he realized it had been a long time since he'd been up to greet the sunrise. After his shower and morning absolutions it occurred to him he no longer felt the call of youth on his soul. He didn't smile anymore and rarely if ever bothered to train. He spent that whole week thinking things over and came to the realization he no longer cared about his missions or the result of any mission he went out on. There was no longer a reason to make the clients happy they had chosen to do their business with the Leaf and he didn't cheer or race the clock any more to finish things faster than anyone else. He simply did his job and came back home until Sarutobi had another mission for him to perform. This realization led him to retire and turn in his headband and tights for normal clothing and a rocking chair. With the loss of his youthful energy he had grown old before his time. Genma, Kotetsu, Izumo and Raidou did their best to keep the village going but they were a poor match to the gaping leak in her forces. Gekko succumbed to his illness and died in the hospital leaving Yugao alone. She took suicide missions and followed him into the grave within a month of his passing.

But when Sarutobi died also even the four remaining ninja who had known the boy now known as Konoha's Sonshine, could not find a reason to remain as ninja of the Leaf. One by one they turned in their headbands and left the service of their village. They left the village within weeks of turning in their hitatae and it wasn't until they were gone that the village hidden in the leaves truly understood what they had lost when they had failed to care for a child.

**Epilogue:**

Naruto and his friends had been in Konoha for a week when they realized that although people were angry they were angry because Kakashi had made waves and upset the Hokage. They were not angry that Naruto had been mistreated. They were not angry because they had left a child of their village defenseless and alone. They were angry at one man because another was upset. So they had hatched the plan to break free and to do it in such a way the village would cave in on itself. Naruto had gone to the Hokage and brought the Old Man to his apartment where he had introduced Yugito and Gaara. The three Jinchuuriki walked the Old Hokage through their plan and asked him if he could think of a single reason why his village needed to survive one day more than it already had. They did give the Old Man the option of leaving the village behind but he chose not to go anywhere saying he was old and tired and someone had to remain behind to make sure things played out as they should.

And so the next day when they saw Kakashi walk past the apartment followed by Asuma and the rest of the group they put their plan in motion. Naruto created a bunch of clones and had them trash his apartment. Yugito henged into Naruto as Naruto henged into Itachi. Gaara just got out of the way after layering the apartment with sand. The trio had pinned their headbands to the wall to make a statement and after his Itachi speech to Kakashi and the other jounin they had left the village. They returned to the Village Hidden in the Aerie to await the fallout.

Sarutobi had sent Naruto word whenever one of the group he knew to have gotten the message left the Leaf and either Naruto or one of his friends would pick the ninja up before they could get hurt. Jiraiya had found them and he'd been ready to blow the whistle on them until the angels had taken him to task for it. Now he lived in the Village Hidden in the Aerie also. Kakashi had only gotten picked up because Naruto's clones were still watching the village but Naruto refused to let the man drown in his own remorse. He knew Kakashi would never understand the full folly of what he had done but he also knew Kakashi was as close to understanding it as he could come when he had said, "Minato-Sensei will never forgive me for what I did."

Naruto had laughed and said, "Well, then I guess it's a good thing you won't ever have to face him over it isn't it."

"Kakashi looked at him perplexed and Naruto reminded him of the seal deal. "Otousan is in the Shinigami's belly for all time. I won't say he doesn't know what is happening here regarding me. he could for all I know but you won't have to face him unless you use the same jutsu he used. I'd worry more about Kaasan quite frankly." Kakashi had paled dramatically causing Naruto to wonder just what he had said that could be that terrible.

After he had picked up Sarutobi's ashes, having promised the Old Man he would not leave his remains in the village he had died in, And picking up the remaining four ninja from the Leaf they had moved on to the Sand village and done the same thing with them as they had done in the Leaf. From Sand they had only recruited two people but even that was surprising to Gaara who had not expected anyone to leave his home village over how he was treated. He had given back every lick of trouble his village had ever dished him and he had done so in spades.

Then they had moved to Cloud and done the same thing there but on a more discreet wavelength as there was a lot of powerful people very angry with Yugito and anyone who had supported her. When the rumor mills of Cloud got a hold of why Yugito might have chosen to run off to Leaf instead of remaining true to Cloud they could only shuddered and wonder what they might have done had it been they it was proposed for. They picked up another twenty people from Cloud who had known Yugito over the years either as trainers or co-workers. And each of them knew the rumors were nothing more than the simple truth. Yugito was to be harvested like one would harvest a rice field. She was to be turned into a low price whore just for any fertile egg the harvester might have missed and she was not to be given any choice as to who's semen was used either on her personally or on her eggs.

They did not go to Sound or anywhere else they did not know of a jinchuuriki living now or in the past. Nor did they mess with the Akatsuki. They simply didn't care about the guys in black gowns who dressed like freaks or girls. The Village Hidden in the Aerie was not exactly in the same realm as the rest of the Elemental Lands and so the group of S class missing-nins would not find their run-away jinchuuriki.

Time marched on and the trio of jinchuuriki kept an eye on the mortal world. Whenever it was necessary they would perform a rescue but they mostly sat things out and let mankind do it's thing destroying itself only to rebuild over and over again. One by one they buried those they had rescued from the different hidden villages of their childhoods. None of those people noticed or thought it odd they did not marry or produce offspring and neither did the jinchuuriki but then the trio knew when they had picked up their friends they would not breed. it was a part of the price of living outside the stream of time. You lived longer but you did not reproduce.


End file.
